Electric danger-signal.



PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. A. MGUAHQN; ELECTRIC DANGER SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 30, mos.

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UNI ED STATES PATENT. QFFIGE,

ELECTRIC ,UANGER -SI GNALLL Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MoOAno acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county ofBuchananand State of: Missouri, have invented certain new and use'fulImprovements in Electric Danger- .Si nals; and Ido declare the followingto be a 1111, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable-others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeandf use-the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andtothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

The objectfof my mvention is to avoid I head-end and rear-end collisionsand open switches on railroads andaccidents at roadcrossings by anelectric mechanism through which there is constant connection betweenconductor'and conductor, conductor and engineer, station and station,and headquarters.

I accomplish myobject by the mechanism illustrated'i'n the accompanyingdrawings, in

Figure -1 is a cross-section of a hood and Wires therem, an arm, atrolley, anda rail and its bracket for holding said hood in lace. Fig. 2is a detail to view of the troley'and arm and hood. ig. 3 is a sectionView of an engine-cab, broken aw showing the position of wires therein.ig. 4 is a plan of the wires, the hood omitted, showing their positionas to each other. Fig. 5 isa detailof a switch, show the connectingwiresand a plug. Fig. 6 1m plan of a wa onroad or other crossing, showm thebrea 115 of the hood and continuance o the wires an the road-crossingsignal-bell; and Fig. 7 is a side view of said road-crossing and wireand signal-bell.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In the drawings, Aisan engine-chili); B, one e rai way-ties,"

of the rails of-a road;-C- O, t and. Da switch-rail.

I Eris a steel hood" and F is nsulated lihngsaid ho d provided withdovetail grooves ff. These dovetail insulated rooves are for the purposeof carrying ovetail wires. I Two of these wires H H are random wiresrunning Each of these wires is a uarter-mile, halfv mile, orwhateverlength s desired, each of the division-points of wire being opposite themiddle of the length of its'paral e1 wire.

.I is a continuous returnewire.

parallel with each other.

v I i 8' signal-wire for road-crossings, .K is a telephone-wire.

Wiresv H H also serve as switch-wires. L is a bracket rigidly bolted 0outerend supporting hood E, s aced-sli-htly 'awa from the rail on a lines lightly a the orizontal of the top of the rail, as shown inFig. 1. j'

M is a trolley, and O O a lurality: of brushes therein. Each of. theserusheshas connection at one endwith the ebox A an; engine or truck of acaboose and at the. other end with a trolley-arm R, audit i a cable ofwires. with the fire-box and-provided at its lower end with'aswivel-bo'x S for carrying arm R. Spring Q- serves as a cushion tofrom "the vibrations of the engine. Q is a double-acting coil-springadapted to serve the same p .ose as spring Q, except. that it has avertica movement, while the movement of the coil-spring is horizontal.While this trolley is shown attached to anengine, it is equally adaptedto be attached to the trucks ofa passenger-car or caboose.

When this device is placed in connection ,with the track of a railway,random wires H H being laid in divisions, as hereinbefore indicated andas shown in 4, two en- 'g'i'nes approaching each other within a set'stance", a circuit is-formed between said engines or an engine and acaboose by returnwires. electric bells on engines 'or cabooses are rungas a signal of danger. By chan ingthe lug from wire K into connectionwit 'WII'BS I and I communication as to danger is immediatelyestablished between the'engines or an engine or a caboos It should 'beunder stood that whenever switch K is. thrown against wire Ithroughwires H H a circuit is formed with an e he or a caboose,as-beforedescribed. Si%a ebell J is connected with random wires H, it beingconnected with wire I-through any suitable battery. A circuitbeingformed withja battery in anlengivrlip, the signal-bell-J is rung inthe engine.

enever-the switch is thrown open, a circuit is formed between wires HHand wireI with signal-bell J i Whenever an engine ap- Wires H H, J, andK alluse S is a bracket connected proaches toa set distance fromroad-crossmg bell J it forms a circuit through wire J m'to Patented ran;as, 19.07.

a spiral spring P, one end of wbichha's connection with its brush, theother; with any suitable battery. 'Q'is a coil-s ring having relieve Thecircuit being thus formed, the

said bell J thence through return-wire'l, and

thence through any suitable batteries in the engme.

What claim, and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is. I

1. In an electric dan er-signal the combination with the rails an aswitch andengine or car of a railway, of a bracket and a steelhood suported thereby, an insulated lining therein, t edovetail grooves-insaid-lining, a' trolley, a plurality of brushes therein, a s'plralspringfor each having battery connection and a coil-spring havingfire-box connectlon,

a trolley-arm connecting at the other end with a bracket anda-swivel-box carryingli said trolley-arm, a double-acting coil-spring,the random'wiresparallel with each other, a signal-wire, atelephone-wire and a continuj; "011s return wire, a road-crossing bellhaving signal wire connection,

, substantially. as shown and set forth.

12. In an electric danger-signal for railways "the co bination withrailway -'ties, rails,

b and engines,,of a bracket rigidly; bolted toa rail,a metal hoodsupported at the switche oute'rend of said rail, an insulated liningwithin said hood, a trolley and trolley-arm,

random and other wires of unequal length in the dovetail grooves thedivisionpoint of .each wire being opposite the middle of its parallelwire thereby forming a continuous circuit if contacted by an approachingengine or'in case a switch is open, substantially as shown and setforth.

' 3. Inan electric danger-signal the combi 'nation with the rails'ofarailway and wires having battery connection, of a bracket rig- ALEXANDERMQOAHON.

Witnesses:

WALTER A. PownLL, FRANCIS J. VEsTEY.

